Upskilling vs Recruiting: A Shakespearean Dilemma

School trips. Whether you loved or loathed them, they certainly spark the memory bank. And a recent opportunity to relive one of mine - a school trip to The Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford Upon Avon – presented both flashbacks, fashion faux pas (it was the 80’s) and a conundrum of what to see. Did we stick with what we knew, and savour the satisfaction of safety, or expand our horizons with something new?  For the curious amongst you - it was a choice between Romeo & Juliet (the one we saw at 15), or Othello (new one). 

This debate poses an essential question for CMO’s when it comes to cultivating excellence: should you nurture greatness within your team or seek greatness elsewhere? This is an intricate dilemma; one that oscillates between immediate needs, long-term goals, and the ever-elusive pursuit of greatness. Let’s unravel it.

The Route to High Performance 

In an era where technological advancements are reshaping industries, 72% of senior media professionals recognise the pressing need to address skill gaps, whether by upskilling current teams or recruiting new talent (*). But the choice between upskilling and recruiting is not as straightforward as it seems.

Before diving into this quandary, ask yourself:

• What’s the ultimate goal?
• What’s the urgency level?
• Can existing team members be developed to meet these demands, or is external recruitment the only solution?

Put plainly, whilst every CMO is striving for a high-performing marketing team the pathway to achieving this may differ depending on a number of factors. Let’s explore the pros and cons of each.

The Case for Upskilling

For me, upskilling has always been so much more than training; it’s about fostering a culture of growth and relentless focus on continuous learning. It creates opportunities for employees to stay relevant while leveraging their existing knowledge of your brand. And as Shalespeare wrote in Hamlet - “We know what we are but know not what we may be”. 

Here's why it matters:

1. Loyalty and Retention: Investing in your team sends a strong message of trust. This can boost morale and foster long-term loyalty.
2. Relevance and Innovation: Upskilling helps employees stay curious and adaptable, aligning them with emerging industry trends.
3. Cost-Effectiveness: While not always immediate, upskilling can be a cost-effective alternative to recruitment, especially when considering hiring and onboarding expenses.

The assumption that upskilling always requires a “course” or a “textbook” is as old as the Lairds plays. Of course, sometimes it does but it’s also crucial to think innovatively when considering what upskilling is, and the value it can bring. And, as crucially, the conditions that are needed to support effective embedding of those new skills and knowledge to deliver.

Creative Approaches to Upskilling

• Diverse learning styles: Tailor opportunities to suit varied learning preferences, from workshops to hands-on projects, learning days out, and time spent experimenting
• Events and inspiration: Spending time at events, conferences, and webinars whether through external Inspire Speaker programs or Marketing Excellence Programmes can bring much-needed expert opinion, with different and diverse ideas to stimulate discussion
• Secondments and sabbaticals: Allow team members to spend time in specialist agencies or different departments to gain new perspectives.
• Role swaps and stretch assignments: Let employees switch roles temporarily or tackle challenges outside their comfort zones.
• War games and real-world simulations: Inject creativity into learning through practical, high-stakes scenarios that drive new skills and behaviour.

However, upskilling comes with risks. It requires time and organisational commitment. It requires commitment and budget. It requires an experimental mind set and an openness to exploration before action. And, if the company culture doesn’t support organic innovation, the effort may not always equal impact (especially at the start) leaving you itching to recruit external contractors or agencies to pick up the pace.

It’s crucial when upskilling to always look ahead to what is needed in the future and start that journey with your teams as early as you can.

The Case for Recruitment

Recruitment offers an opportunity to inject fresh thinking and specialist skills into your team. This route can be especially effective for addressing urgent skill gaps, or accelerating a new direction..

Advantages of Recruitment

1. Immediate expertise: Hiring specialists (individuals, teams or agencies) can solve specific problems quickly.
2. New perspectives: External hires bring diverse experiences and innovative ideas, challenging the status quo immediately.
3. Transformational leadership: Bringing in senior leads with a fresh vision can drive cultural and strategic shifts on a bigger scale

Recruitment Challenges

• Fit and Onboarding: New hires may not always align with the company culture, leading to potential friction (even in situations where the goal is a change in culture). “One may smile and be a villain…”
• Opportunity Costs: Recruitment can be time-intensive, with long notice periods and onboarding processes delaying impact.

Balancing the need for immediate results with cultural alignment is a delicate dance. “To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first”. Ensuring the proper immersion, onboarding, and mentor program can help accelerate the pace and ensure the reasons for recruitment are well explained before the job advert is seen on LinkedIn.

Strategic Questions to Guide the Decision

How can you analyse what the route to success is for you? 

1. What’s the Urgency? How critical is the skill gap, and how soon does it need to be addressed? 
2. What’s Driving the Need? Are you responding to industry trends, internal challenges, or external pressures?
3. What Are the Long-Term Goals? Is the focus on sustaining growth, innovating, or building a future-ready team? And where and how can AI help? What scale is needed? Is this need something that can be addressed in one person or needs the whole team to be “upskilled in”? If the latter, consider how and when to start and what will enhance the “ripple” effect at the pace you need.
4. And of course - it goes without saying for all of the above. How can AI help, transform, fast track, support, drive efficiency whether you upskill or recruit? And a whole upskilling conversation in itself considering the many uses and opportunities - prompting masterclass anyone? Wonder what the Baird would have used Gemini, ChatGPT, Co-pilot for… 

A Blended Approach

Ultimately, the choice between upskilling and recruiting isn’t one or the other. A hybrid strategy in my view often delivers the best results; upskill your team for needs that require brand understanding to leverage internal knowledge and connections, AND recruit specialists for high-impact, immediate needs, especially in niche or emerging fields like AI and behavioural science.

Research from AAR’s latest report, Evolution of the Marketing Operating Model, shows the top 5 skills most likely to play a critical role in the next few years according to current CMO concerns.  To download the report just click this link - and dive into the People section to consider versus your current people strategy. 

Final Thoughts

The decision between upskilling and recruiting is rarely clear cut. It’s a journey shaped by your goals, team dynamics, and market realities to build a team capable of achieving - and sustaining - greatness. And as all CMOs know, greatness isn’t just achieved or thrust upon us. It’s cultivated through deliberate choices, bold actions, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. 

As Shakespeare said in As You Like It. “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” As a leader, your role is to cast the right players for the right roles, whether nurturing talent from within or finding stars elsewhere. If you want a chat to explore this and upskilling options further please email me on vgillan@aargroup.co.uk  

PS Othello was brilliant. Heartily recommend.